9 Crimes
by leyton-is-lovee
Summary: Every thrust and gasp is another nail into the coffin that’s become their lives. LP with BL,NP,BN undertones; summary inside.


**I own nothing, not even "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice.**

Happy OTH Day! This is one-shot kind of popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. An update for **Love Remains the Same** is coming, I'm nearly done with the chapter.

Soooo, this is just a one-shot. It's kind of different from what I typically write I guess. There's some changes . . . Haley never came back. She left in season 2 and stayed on tour or got with Chris Keller, whatever, but she never came back to Tree Hill. There's no book by Lucas and he and Peyton only snuck around behind Brooke's back in junior year. Hopefully that's all the answer's you'll need before reading this HAHA. This one-shot picks up where season 5 would have, so its four years later and some things are the same; others aren't.

This song is absolutely amazing and it only solidifies my love for Damien Rice. I have a new obsession every week LOL. Plus, it totally _screams_ sex!

This is a Leyton with Brucas, Pathan, and Brathan undertones (I'm all over the place HAHA)

Rated **M** kiddies.

* * *

_Leave me out with the waste  
This is not what I do  
It's the wrong kind of place  
To be thinking of you  
It's the wrong time  
For somebody new  
It's a small crime  
And I've got no excuse_

By the time the door closes her nimble fingers are working the button of his jeans and his rough hands are pulling at her tank top. It's discarded and he groans at the sight of her red lace bra. He's walking backwards to the bed and pretty soon he's tripping over the jeans that are sliding down his legs.

She dips her hand below the waistband of his boxer briefs and grasps him just as they fall to the bed. He grunts at her cool hands massaging his warm flesh. He bites his bottom lip and she smirks devilishly. That makes him even harder.

He never would have expected her to be such a sex vixen, but she is. She's sassy and flirty and so _fucking_ gorgeous that it actually hurts him. He unclasps her bra and throws it to the corner of their hotel room.

He hates the secrecy they have, but it's totally necessary. He's cut off of all rational thoughts when he feels his eyes rolling into the back of his head; he knows he's too close to the edge. Hastily, he pushes her hands away and pants loudly. She laughs softly and he simply shakes his head.

He uses his strength to his advantage and changes their positions. She squeals in shock before moaning loudly. His mouth covers one of her breasts while his hands work the button and zipper of her tight jeans. She arches into him and weaves her hands through his short, blonde locks.

His mouth assaults both her mounds in the best possible way and then they trail along her torso. She tugs at the neck of his t-shirt and crumples it so that she can pull it over his head; his lips leave her body just long enough for that to happen.

Her jeans get shimmied down quickly and in turn her thong is removed with them. He finds his jeans on the floor and grabs his wallet. Once he locates the condom he pushes his boxer briefs to the floor. Her eyes darken considerably at the sight of the fully naked man before her. The naked man that's all hers.

No. No. He isn't hers _technically_.

He returns to the bed, but before anything gets really started, he leaves kisses along her legs. The long limbs have fascinated him since high school. Freshman year, sophomore year; both summers actually. Up close and upon further inspection, they were a bit chickeny – or so he teased her – but in reality they were pretty awesome.

His face is level with hers and with his teeth; he rips at the wrapper of the condom. She takes it from him and her arms dance down his toned chest before finding his manhood. His head drops to the junction of her shoulder and neck as she slips it on. He places kisses at that junction and her cheek and then that _spot_ on her neck. She cups his face in her hands and their eyes lock; soft smiles are exchanged.

And then he pushes into her.

This isn't the first time they've done this. It's far from it actually, but every time has a way of feeling like their first. That should be their sign. This is so much more then lust and desire. Its love; plain and simple.

But they can't be in love.

It's not the life they've chosen for themselves.

Their left hands interlock and for a second their wedding bands scrape together, but they don't dare to stop. If they stop to think about what they're doing they'll ruin it. Their movements increase and even though it feels so right, it's so damn wrong.

Every thrust and gasp is another nail into the coffin that's become their lives.

Her hips meet his frantically and he groans loudly. He buries his free hand into her wavy hair. It's different from the curls he's used to, but he gets lost in the blondeness. He brings their interlocked hands to rest between their moving bodies and she has to close her eyes.

He kisses her and when he does, he pauses their motions so that he's buried deep within her. Her mouth parts and his tongue meets hers and that's almost better then anything else they've done tonight. He pulls out slightly before pushing back into her. That action sends them both over the edge.

He rests atop her for a minute before rolling to the side. He takes her into his arms and he lies there for a minute. She closes her eyes and imagines that this is their every night routine, but then her eyes snap open and she pushes away from him. This isn't their every night routine; it's their once a week routine.

He watches her get dressed and feels his heart sink. "Stay the night", he requests softly. She shakes her head and puts on her panties before stepping into her jeans. "Why not?"

"Because, you know I can't", she whispers. She grabs her bra and clasps it behind her. "I have to get home." She searches for her shirt and turns her back to him.

He knows there's nothing that can make her stay, but the words spill from his mouth without a filter, "I love you", the second he does he knows what her face resembles.

"No, you don't", she whispers with her back still to him. She pulls her top over her head and fights back the tears. "People get it skewed up all the time", she mumbles. "You can't love me", she whispers as she puts on her heels.

He stands from the bed and reaches for his boxer briefs before putting on his jeans. His anger has hit an all time high and he blows, "Why can't I? Huh, why can't I love you?" he asks angrily as he follows her to the door.

She shakes her head and wishes he would leave it all alone, but of course he can't. He keeps questioning and following and her anger boils over;

"Because you're my brother-in-law!"

And then she slams the door behind her.

_Is that alright with you?  
Give my gun away when it's loaded  
Is that alright with you?  
If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it  
Is that alright with you?  
Give my gun away when it's loaded  
Is that alright with you?  
With you . . ._

When Peyton walks into their house she toes off her heels and leaves her purse by the door. She pulls her hair into a ponytail and stops to look around. It all seemed so much simpler four years ago. Change the world, conquer the world. If she had known what she was in for – what she would be doing – she probably would have done things differently. She shakes her head and ascends the staircase.

She walks to their bedroom and lingers in the doorway. From where she's standing she can see the glint of her husband's wedding band and it prompts her to look at her own. It feels like it's crushing her finger and she has to look away. She moves into the room and slips out of her shirt and jeans for a tank top and sweatpants.

She crawls into bed beside him and rests her head on her husbands shoulder; she absentmindedly traces the scar below his peck. It's the constant reminder of the girl that left them all. Nathan especially. She asked him once, years ago, if it ever hurt. He looked her in the eye and shook his head.

_It stopped hurting around the time we got back together_, he had said.

They were seniors in high school when he told her that and she can still remember the smile on her face. For so long she wanted to be the girl who changed him; the one he bettered himself for. They had a rocky past and once they got back together they didn't know if they would last. But they had grown up, became different people, and loved others.

His annulment was official and it left him with a newfound sense of independence. With encouragement from Peyton he went to High Flyers and once he came back, he knew he had feelings for the then straight haired blonde.

She can feel her eyes water and she pushes back the tears. They're older; they should be smarter then this. It just got so hard and complicated. And when Nathan had his accident, she turned to Lucas for support. And then that turned into _so_ much more.

"I'm so sorry", she whispers. Her eyelids close and she drifts into a slumber.

_He and his brother walked off the bus with smiles on their faces. It was a sunny day and for the first time in a while it seemed like their lives her on track. They looked out at the pandemonium of teenagers and a running Brooke. Something was wrong._

"_Somebody has a gun inside and they're shooting", Brooke whimpered as she clung to Lucas. Nathan looked at the couple and felt his heart pound in his ears._

_He didn't know why, but he screamed out; "Peyton!"_

_He ran ahead of them Whitey yelled at the other to get back on the bus. He stopped and looked at Brooke._

"_I lost, Peyton I don't know where she is. She was right there and a shot went off and now she's gone", Brooke's lost voice spoke._

"_Wh—whoa, whoa, whoa, Peyton was shot?" Lucas asked in a panic._

"_No . . . I don't know. She was right behind me; we were by the library."_

_That was all Nathan needed to hear._

When Nathan stirs, he pulls Peyton closer to him. He looks down at her and smiles. It's been four years, but he still can't believe they're married. He kisses the top of her head and fleetingly remembers the day it all changed.

It's not a day he likes to remember often because even though it brought him and Peyton together, it was the day he lost his uncle and his father became a murderer. That revelation came out in their senior year and Peyton had been there for him and it made him fall even more in love with her. Shortly after they were engaged and shortly after that, they were married.

They were the typical married couple, up until a year ago. He was a breath away from his dream of the NBA and then his pride and emotions got the better of him. Basically, he was throw through a window and was nearly permanently paralyzed. But Peyton stood by him. When he went into depression, and became an alcoholic, and took all those pills that one night . . . she was there; promising to never leave his side.

That's why he started going to rehab and it's why he cut his hair and shaved his beard. It all became too much for her to handle and when she gave him her final ultimatum something inside of him snapped. He couldn't lose her. He can't lose her.

He reaches over and grabs his cane before standing from the bed. He's been out of a wheelchair for a few months now and the cane will only last another week or two. His cell phone buzzes and he looks at the caller ID. _Brooke._ He sighs and walks a bit faster.

He can't have this discussion with his wife around.

_Leave me out with the waste  
This is not what I do  
It's the wrong kind of place  
To be cheating on you  
It's the wrong time  
She's pulling me through  
It's a small crime  
And I've got no excuse_

He's not surprised to see her; it's common for them to fight about love and what they're doing and for her to yell and swear to never to _this_ again. But that never actually happens. He opens the door wider and she steps in.

She looks around his office and smiles. Head coach for the Tree Hill Ravens; he's making a lot of people very proud. He clears his throat and it makes her snap around.

"What's up?" he asks as casually as he can. She lifts one shoulder in a half shrug and then sits on the leather couch in the room.

"It's Nathan", she whispers. He wants to roll his eyes; it's always Nathan. His relationship with his brother hasn't changed since high school. They're close and they talk, but there's an unspoken wall between them.

That wall is Peyton.

"So what, are you here to end things", there's a mocking tone in his voice, but it isn't intentional. "Fine", he says snippily. Her face takes on a hurt expression and her bottom lip quivers. She hates being such a girl.

"You could do that? Just stop . . . this?" she questions. He softens and sits beside her. He takes her hand in his and runs his thumb across her knuckles.

"It would be hard and it would hurt, but if it's what you want, I would do it", he says and nods his head. Without a word, she leans forward and kisses him. Their lips are so perfect for each other. Its completeness and happiness all in one touch.

"Why do you stay with him?" he finds himself asking when they break apart. She meets his blue eyes and sighs.

"Because it's not _always_ bad . . . and it's better then being alone", the last part is so quiet; it's as if she's mouthed it to him. This is his chance. His one shot to make her see the silver lining on the dark cloud that seems to hang about them.

"You don't have to be alone", he promises. "You can leave Nathan and I'll leave –"

"No", she says as she shakes her head. "Lucas –"

"No, let's do it! We can finally be together, Peyt", his eyes are so hopeful and it kills her to have to be the bad guy in this. That's ironic, they're both the bad guys, but she's the even worse guy.

"Lucas, we can't do that", she says forcefully. He shakes his head. She's always so damn complicated.

"Yes, we can! Peyton, you're not happy and I'm –"

"You are – you're married to my best friend", she growls at him. He's shocked because that's not her usual response. Usually she tells him that she's married to his brother or that she loves Nathan.

They're both quiet after that comment. The brunette woman is the main reason, to Peyton, that this can't move forward. They did the same thing to Brooke in high school and now they're betraying her ten times over.

Peyton shakes her head; this isn't how this meeting was supposed to go. She stands, but doesn't get anywhere because his hand finds her wrist and he pulls her down onto his lap. He kisses her slowly, softly, and gently slips his tongue into her mouth. She moans against him and her hands lay flat again his chest. She can feel the rapid beat from beneath the cloth of his polo shirt.

Their kisses increase soon his shirt is pulled over his head while her dress is pushed off her body. He lays her down on the couch and in the process Peyton uses her legs to remove his track pants. They don't have much time because neither of them locked the door so the foreplay has to be forgotten. His fingers hook in the rim of her panties and he tosses them into the air.

They kiss deeply as he enters her and he presses his chest up against hers. He needs to feel her heartbeat. He needs to know that she loves him as much as he loves her. He moves in and out of her slowly, savoring every sound and face she makes. He hooks one arm under her knee and watches as her breaths increase rapidly. It's not much longer before they're both moaning out the other's name.

He moves the rest beside her because he doesn't want to crush her with his weight. He waits for their breaths to even out before looking at her expectantly. By now she's dressed and giving him one last kiss. This time is different. This time she lies with him and traces an invisible pattern on his chest.

"We can't do this anymore", she whispers painfully. Lucas can feel his heart constrict, but he knew it was coming. "Nathan, he's – he's getting better and I owe it to him to be the wife I used to be."

"Hollow?" he asks bitterly. She closes her eyes and Lucas can feel her tense. "Sorry", he whispers. "I just don't like seeing you fake happiness."

She doesn't answer because what can she say to that? No, she's not happy, but that's life. It's not always about happiness and bliss. It's just life. Lucas twirls a strand of her hair around his finger and takes a deep breath.

"I was going to break up with her", he whispers. Peyton freezes and looks up at him timidly. "That night . . . I saw how happy my mom and Keith were and I knew she and I would never have that", he says with conviction.

"But then we got off that bus and . . ." he stops to take a breath. "And after that nothing was the same", he whispers. Peyton frowns and nestles closer to him.

"I'm sorry that you lost Keith that day", she whispers. He lets out a noise and she knows he appreciates her comment. Sleep is fast approaching and before Peyton can close her eyes Lucas whispers; "I lost more then Keith that day . . . I lost you."

She looks at him again and opens her mouth, but she has no words. They all lost a lot that day. Lucas lost a father figure. Nathan lost his bitterness. Brooke lost her fearlessness.

She lost herself.

"I do love you, Luke", she whispers for the first time since they started all this months ago. His heart leaps up into his throat and a smile graces his lips. "That's what makes this all so much harder."

"I know", he whispers and kisses the top of her head. "I know."

_Is that alright with you?  
Give my gun away (Is that alright? Yeah) when it's loaded  
Is that alright with you?  
If you don't shoot it how (Is that alright? Yeah) am I supposed to hold it  
Is that alright with you?  
Give my gun away (Is that alright? Yeah) when it's loaded  
Is that alright  
Is that alright with you?_

Lucas walks into their modest sized house and kicks his shoes off by the door. He runs a hand through his hair and then drags it over his tired face. He walks down the hall and glances at the pictures that hang on the walls. He doesn't even recognize the two people that stare back at him.

He slowly walks up the stairs and stops to look at a picture from his bother's wedding day. Nathan and Peyton are in the middle and he and Brooke are on either side. Brooke's looking at the newly married couple with a dimpled smile and Lucas – though it appears he's doing the same – is looking solely at Peyton. He supposes they were all doomed from the start. One thing he's learned is that you can't _make_ yourself fall in love with someone else. If only he knew then what he knows now.

He takes in a deep breath as he lingers in the doorway of their bedroom. She doesn't deserve this. The lies and the empty promises. Sure, things got hard and for a while he was sure they wouldn't be okay again . . . he's still not too sure. He takes off his shirt and slips out of his pants and crawls into bed beside his slumbering wife.

Their earlier high school days were rocky, but after the summer and at the start of their senior year; he was ready to make things work. His finger traces her jaw line and in her sleep she grabs his hand to interlock their fingers. Their wedding rings meet his eyes and he snaps them shut. They're older now; they're not hormone induced teenagers.

After Nathan's accident Peyton came to him for help. It was around the same time Victoria swooped in and took Clothes over Bros from Brooke. The brunette turned to alcohol and pills and became the Deb Scott of Tree Hill. He in turn went to Peyton. They were both so _lost_.

He unlocks their fingers and puts some space between them. She's Brooke Davis and she's his wife. He loves her, he does, and that's what makes this whole thing even more absurd. He loves his wife, but he's in love with her best friend.

"I'm so sorry", he whispers before surrendering to sleep.

_He grabs Brooke's head and tries to make her focus. She was rambling about a gunman and a shot fired and Peyton. His heart tightened in his chest. Not Peyton._

"_Peyton's in the library?" he could hear his brother ask. Brooke turned to him and nodded. He watched as Nathan shook his head and headed for the school._

"_Nathan, get your ass on that bus!" Whitey screamed. Without a second thought he ran after him._

"_Luke!" Brooke cried indignantly. He told Whitey he'd get him and then he promised Brooke he'd be right back. He didn't think he'd ever run that fast in his life – when basketball wasn't involved._

"_Nathan!" he called out before tackling him the woodchip covered ground. His younger brother fought him as much as he could, but Lucas was relentless._

"_Get off me man!" Nathan barked. He stood and stared at Lucas on the ground. "Peyton's in there!" he yelled and in that instant Lucas knew everything was changing. Nathan was running back into the school for Peyton. And he knew if things were different, he'd be doing the same thing._

_He watched as Nathan ran in one direction while he headed back to Brooke._

When Brooke stirs, she feels the warmth beside her and smiles. Lucas Scott has been her boy for as long as she can imagine. They have overcome many things in their time together, but they were unified after the school shooting. It was them against the world and it had been ever since. Wit the exception of the last year; things have been tense between them.

They got married shortly after his brother and her best friend. It seemed too good to be true. The girls who had grown up as sisters were now sister-is-laws. They had their dream men and nothing seemed impossible. Then it all tumbled to the ground.

When Victoria took the company from her, she spiraled. She drank to forget and popped pills to get to sleep. Her friend was going through a difficult time too and even in her pill induced haze, it killed her to not be there.

She looks at Lucas again and sighs. They once seemed like the perfect couple. With contrasting features and polar opposite personalities. Then she ruined it, but she's trying to make it better. The booze was poured out months ago and her prescriptions haven't been filled in just as long. Lucas never gave her an ultimatum, but she doesn't want it to get to that point. She doesn't wanna lose him.

Brooke pushes the covers off herself and stands from the bed. She grabs her cell phone and walks in the direction of the door. Her manicured nails scroll down her list of contacts and stop on the one she's looking for. _Nathan._ She presses the 'send' button and scurries to the hallway.

She can't make this call with her husband in the room.

_Is that alright, yeah?  
Give my gun away (Is that alright? Yeah) when it's loaded  
Is that alright with you?  
If you don't shoot it how (Is that alright? Yeah) am I supposed to hold it  
Is that alright with you?  
Give my gun away (Is that alright? Yeah) when it's loaded  
Is that alright  
Is that alright with you?_

You'd think that considering the number of times they've done this they'd be less uncoordinated. But that's not the case. It might be because for so long they've been contained to a chair or him simply laying there. Now, he's all over the place.

Maybe it's because they've never bothered to see what the other person likes. It's all about them in this moment of passion and they still couldn't care about the other person. Feelings aren't involved, he made that clear the first time they ever did this.

Too bad Brooke didn't listen.

They came together because they were two people who lost their dreams and while their partners tried to understand it, they couldn't. The only people who truly knew what they were going through were each other.

He thrusts in and out of her rapidly and it causes the headboard to bang against the wall. She grasps his shoulders in an attempt to maintain some control. He grunts and one of his hands grabs her breasts. She arches into him and her hips meet his; causing a delicious effect.

They're both so close and before they reach their climax Brooke grabs his face and crashes their lips together. Her tongue meets his and in an effort to look like the strong one she dominates his mouth. Her tongue scrapes against his teeth and his cheeks and he swears it almost reaches his tonsils. Her actions cause his movements to increase and with two final pounds they're moaning and screaming.

"Jesus Nathan", she pants as he lies beside her. He smirks and once his breathing slows he stands from the bed. She watches as he puts on his jeans and then looks for his shirt. She clutches the sheets tighter around her body and tilts her head.

"Hey!" she calls out. He looks at her and raises a brow. "Why don't you stay the night", she asks with a childlike voice. Nathan chuckles.

"Because I have a wife to get home to", he says obviously. She nods.

"I know, but just tell her that something _came up_", with the last two words she dips her voice to a seductive whisper. The words cause him to shiver, but he doesn't act on it.

"Peyton's my wife and I thought she was your friend."

Her mouth drops; she doesn't know why she's surprised. They have this argument after every time they sleep together. "Peyton's my _best friend_!" she yells. Nathan scoffs.

"Some friend you are . . . sleeping with her husband."

"You know what Nathan, I'm not the only one in this", she says angrily. He's reached a whole new level of assholeness today. He pulls his shirt over his head and stares at her.

"Who was the one that called me today? Who called me last week and two days before that? Who initiated this entire thing months ago?" he's angry now and even though it probably shouldn't; it turns her on.

"Who comes every time?"

He stops to look at her and then smarmily replies; "I still think that's you."

He's so cocky and arrogant and utterly full of himself that it should make her want to stop this whole thing. But it doesn't. The man he is now reminds her of the teenager he used to be. Confident and smart mouthed. She's pretty sure she's loved him since day one.

"You know they're cheating on us", her voice rasps. Nathan freezes for a second, but recovers quickly.

"You're delusional", he replies snidely. Brooke laughs, but it's empty. He's so blinded by love, it's almost cute. Too bad he's fucking her on the side.

"And you're blind", she spits back. "He came home the other night, smelling of perfume", she whispers. Even though she's cheating on him and he's apparently cheating on her, it still hurts.

"So, you're pissed because my _brother's_ cheating on _you_?" he asks for clarification. She gives him a look and he shrugs innocently. "I just don't see how this involves me or Peyton."

"He smelled like her", she whispers. Blue eyes meet her dark ones and he bites the inside of his cheek. God help his older brother if this accusation is true. Granted he's sleeping with his wife, but it would be different for Lucas to do this. "That mixture of lavender and vanilla."

His blue eyes bore into her and she swears he's looking down into her soul. Nathan shakes his head. They've had fights about this before, but Brooke's never stooped to this level.

"Look, I get that you're mad because I won't leave Peyton, but I love her, Brooke", he says sincerely. "She was there for me when I needed someone –"

"So you're staying with her because of comfort?"

"Why are you with Lucas?" he fires back.

They're silent and Brooke looks down. She twirls her wedding ring around her finger and feels her eyes water. She clears her throat and looks back at him.

"I'll leave him if you leave her", she whispers. It's the first time she's ever uttered that aloud and it makes Nathan's eyes widen. He sits on the edge of the bed and looks at her. Her hairs a mess and her lips are bruised. She has a bite right above her breast she's going to have to cover up. And she still looks beautiful.

He didn't know what he was getting into all those months ago. He knew that he didn't wanna talk about his feelings or his issues. He didn't want to seem weak in front of Peyton and he didn't want to be comforted by his older brother. So, he turned to Brooke.

They were in the same place and had the same feelings about life. He told her then that it was strictly sex. She laughed her raspy laugh and said that wouldn't be a problem.

Since that night it's become something more and they've inadvertently healed each other.

"When did this become about feelings for you?" he asks seriously. She looks away from his gaze and feels foolish. She doesn't know how to answer that question and she doesn't know that he'll be caring if she does.

When she remains silent Nathan stands from the bed and clears his throat. "Umm, I don't think we should do this anymore", it's surprisingly hard for him to say and he can't look at her as he does. "I'm getting better and I owe it to Peyton to be the man she married."

"Fake?" Brooke spits out. He looks at her and she shakes her head. "Sorry, it's just that – forget it", she whispers. He nods and knows what she was going to say, but he doesn't press it.

Once he leaves the room Brooke lets her silent tears fall.

_Is that alright, yeah?  
Give my gun away when it's loaded_

_Is that alright, yeah?  
If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it  
Is that alright, yeah?_

_Give my gun away when it's loaded  
Is that alright, is that alright?_

"Why are we even coming here?" Nathan asks through a groan. Peyton chuckles.

"Because, you're walking without a cane now and it's been a while since we were all together", she says easily. Nathan pouts.

"But we have to eat with my brother and Brooke!"

"We don't really have other friends", she points out with a laugh. They stop in front of the door and Nathan looks at her. She spent extra time priming and he can't get Brooke's words out of his head.

"It's just that, I've seen the way Lucas looks at you", she freezes and stares at her husband in shock.

"You're crazy", she says with a nervous laugh. She rings the bell and waits for someone to answer the door.

"Am I? You know, once upon a time you and Lucas were a thing and I know I was assy back then and I've been pretty assy recently . . ."

"What Lucas and I had . . . was a very long time ago", she whispers. He won't meet her eyes and she frowns. "Hey, you know there's only one Scott for me", she says it with conviction because she means it. And she's with him.

She's just not married to him.

"Good answer", Nathan jokes with a smile. He pulls her against him and hesitates before kissing her. It's been a while since they've been intimate in any way and he's scared. Peyton closes the gap and presses her lips against his.

He finds himself missing that strawberry lip gloss.

The door swings open and Lucas can feel his heart burst into flames. Brooke hurries behind him and is there in time to catch the show. Once the married couple in front of them breaks apart they share tense smiles.

"Hey guys", Brooke rasps. Everyone else follows her lead and they exchange greetings. As they walk into the house Brooke glances back at Nathan.

"Nice walk, superstar", he grins at the nickname. "You look almost as hot as I do", she winks and they walk into the living room.

"How about I talk your coats", Lucas says before anyone sits. Brooke looks at him and nods.

"Good idea, I'll get some drinks; Nathan would you help me?" his younger brother nods and follows his wife into the kitchen. Once the door closes behind them Nathan pushes her up against the wall.

"You look so hot", he mumbles against her flesh. Brooke closes her eyes and runs her fingers through his hair. "I was wrong . . . I don't want this to end", he whispers before nipping at her earlobe.

"Okay", she says breathily as she pushes him away, "But try and keep it in your pants for tonight"; she teases before cupping him and walking to the cabinets.

On the other side of the door the blondes simply stare at each other. He has her coat in his hands and he's taking the time to ogle at her. Her green dress shows off her legs and it's tight near her chest. She looks amazing.

"You didn't say anything to Brooke, did you?" her voice snaps him from his staring and a blush fills his cheeks. He shakes his head and tries to remember what she asked.

"I'm still alive aren't I?" he jokes. Peyton laughs softly and nods her head. "Why?"

"It's just that . . . nothing, forget it", she says while shaking her head. "You look good", she whispers. He meets her eyes and smiles bashfully.

"You look gorgeous, Peyt", in an instant her lips are on his. He's shocked, but gathers his bearings long enough to kiss her back. "I've missed you", she whispers as she kisses along his jaw. "I can't stop thinking about you."

"But you said that –"

"I know what I said, but I was wrong. I mean we **don't** know what we're doing, but I know that _I love you_ and that we'll figure it out eventually", she says with a hopeful smile. He grins boyishly and kisses her quickly.

"I love you too", he whispers before their partners come back into the room.

Lucas hangs their coats in the closet and they all walk into the dining room where dinner is waiting. Nathan pulls out Peyton's chair and she smiles at him thankfully. Lucas does the same for Brooke and she grins. They being to eat and talk softly.

Peyton sends Lucas a coy smile to which he reciprocates with a squint. From the other end of the table Brooke sends Nathan a nod and he smirks back. This all happens at the same time, but Lucas is the only one to notice it.

Oh, what a tangled web they've weaved.

_  
Is that alright with you?_

_No . . ._

* * *

Let me know what you think!


End file.
